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2.3

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
67,364 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2013 Ford Expedition drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2013 Ford Expedition Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #35

Sep 012024

Expedition

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Ford had a customer satisfaction recall (which should be a safety recall, honestly) - 19N01 - that was good for 10 years or 150K miles. My vehicle a 2013 is just outside of that 10 years but under the mileage and I am starting to have issues with the leadframe and main control. Unfortunately for me, I bought the vehicle in spring 2023, but am being told the warranty expired in 2019. Also unfortunately for me, the previous owner did not have the issue fixed. Ford is unwilling to assist with correcting the issue (even after the dealership confirmed this is the issue).

- Muse, PA, USA

problem #34

Sep 302024

Expedition

  • 180,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the RMPS were fluctuating, and the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted to second or to third gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the road, and then the contact resumed driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission molded lead frame had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic replaced the transmission molded lead frame several times; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic, where the transmission molded lead frame was replaced. The vehicle was temporarily repaired. Several unknown dealers were notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under Ford Campaign Number: 19N01 because the campaign had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

- Tennille, GA, USA

problem #33

Jun 252024

Expedition

  • miles
When driving veh wrench light came on veh jerks and drops down to first gear rpm and speed gauges go out for second had to pull over cut veh off and cut it back on to get it home this happened several times took it to the closes shop they said it the transmission speed sensor loosing connection with the computer.

- Colonial Heights, VA, USA

problem #32

Mar 012024

Expedition

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have been having random transmission issues. Its wanting to start off in a high gear. Check engine light comes on. A wrench in the digital display. Speedometer quits working. Sometimes it wont shift, and idles way up by itself. At first turning the key off fixed it for a bit. Now its happening more and more. And now a few times it has downshifted HARD from a high gear to a low one causing us to be in danger on the highway, now fearing for our safety. Now turning off the key is not fixing the problem. It shows a code for output shaft speed sensor circuit fault.

- San Angelo, TX, USA

problem #31

Dec 282022

Expedition

  • miles
Since more than 18 months, we have the known intermittent problem described in TSB [XXX], where all of a sudden the wrench appears, speedometer drops to zero and car can't change gear anymore. Sometimes going to manual gears works, sometimes car needs to be stopped, locked and completely shut down several times for the problem to go away. Before turning off, error P0720 appears (as described in TSB [XXX]). Car taken to garage in January 2023 where it was for 3 weeks. Technicians drove it for 11 miles (!) and could not reproduce the problem so could not do the required work ie changing the molded leadframe. Now, in January 2024 the problem happened again and this time the Check Engine light came on. The same error code P0720 was now permanently stored. Took the car to the garage, where they were able to diagnose the problem and... replaced the molded leadframe. This at an out of pocket cost of $1,300. Contacted Ford and they say there is no program or financial assistance in place for this problem, despite all the information that can be found. It is clear this a general problem of all 6R80 gearboxes beyond the time periods stated in the recall. Ford is negligent by not doing a recall on all cars having this gearbox. Nobody is looking at this issue at Ford, when creating a case number they say no program exists, and state paperwork and proof can be sent to a PO BOX in Dearborn (not even an email address to send attachments in this 21st century). All ways to discourage people to react, send in documents or claim documents did not arrive. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Encinitas, CA, USA

problem #30

Jan 102024

Expedition

  • 135,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission molded leadframe. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who confirmed the diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N01, but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 135,000.

- South Jordan, UT, USA

problem #29

Nov 082023

Expedition

  • 200,080 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle independently decelerated to 0 MPH. The check engine warning light and the wrench symbol was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty main control valve body in the transmission. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to call NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 200,080

- Newport News, VA, USA

problem #28

Sep 252023

Expedition

  • miles
Transmission, is available for inspection upon request, trans will downshift to 1st gear causing rear wheels to lock up, speedometer to read zero mph, wrench to be displayed, and dashes across digital display on mph. called dealer and was told out of recall/warranty parameters, as well as ford corporate customer service. No inspection, only verbal verification from dealer. No advance warning before malfunction.

- Willis, MI, USA

problem #27

Aug 032023

Expedition

  • 191,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle downshifted unexpectedly, causing the contact to lose control of the vehicle. The powertrain warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the vehicle was not under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 191,000.

- Sunrise, FL, USA

problem #26

Dec 252022

Expedition 8-cyl

  • miles
The transmission is shifting dangerously. All the lights on the dash are flashing and the speedometer doesn't work. We were driving at highway speed and the transmission shifted into first gear causing an abrupt slowing of the Expedition. When we stopped at a red light the vehicle would remain in third gear and therefore we couldn't accelerate from a stopped position. This was previously addressed in TSB 13-6-8. There are many Ford vehicles on the road with this dangerous problem. I'm requesting that you encourage Ford to repair the transmission lead frame for the life of the vehicle. As second owner of this vehicle, I never received the notice of this problem and didn't discover it until after I was having problems. We drove 80 miles home Christmas day with our emergency flashers on because nothing was open. Ford service was closed on Monday December 26. On Tuesday, December 27 we took vehicle for repairs. We were notified that our extended warranty expired on Monday December 26, so they are not going to pay. This is a well documented problem that Ford has had and I've read many complaints from their customers. To make matters worse the transmission lead frame is on National backorder and Ford cannot repair my vehicle. I refuse to drive it because I'm afraid it will come to an abrupt stop while I'm driving.

- Petal, MS, USA

problem #25

Feb 012022

Expedition

  • 82,702 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the transmission suddenly downshifted into first gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with brake sensor and transmission failure. The dealer replaced an unknown transmission part; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 82,702.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #24

Aug 302021

Expedition

  • miles
My vehicle suddenly shifted into first gear causing it to slow down abruptly. If someone were behind me there would be a high probability that they would hit me from behind since the slowdown was caused by a down shift and there would be no brake lights. This same thing happened to me two years ago and I brought it to the Ford dealer for service. They did not try to reproduce the problem because there is a TSB 19B05. They reprogrammed the Powertrain module. I did not experience this problem again until 8/30/2021 (I think, it could have been 8/23). At which point I started looking into this. Apparently Ford knows this is a problem and has extended the warranty on the affected part (see Customer Satisfaction Program 19N01). But, they will not perform the needed repair unless I have the Wrench light on my dashboard. There is every indication that my vehicle has a problem with OSS sensor because three times (in the past few weeks) my vehicle has either downshifted or failed to shift out of first gear and all three times the speedometer read 0 (not operational) even though I was going 25 - 30 mph. I think there should be a recall on this part because if I was going at a high rate of speed in heavy traffic this would be a disaster. In the mean time I am driving on side roads hoping that the light comes on so that I can get this fixed. I looked into having the repair done and the estimate is $1100.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #23

Jun 182021

Expedition

  • miles
While I was driving my vehicle on the highway it just downshifted from 5th gear to a much lower gear causing my vehicle to come to an almost complete stop in traffic. Also my speedometer quit working and my vehicle transmission was stuck in the lower gear. I had to pull off on the shoulder during traffic and avoid being hit by another car. I was able to turn the vehicle and then restart it to get the transmission to shift into another gear. I was fortunate enough to be able to get home but that did not correct the issue Ford created to my and my family's safety. Ford knows this is an issue and had a recall out there for the issue but because my vehicle is out of the mileage for the warranty they will not repair the issue at their cost. The dealership confirmed the issue is the same as the recall-- replacement of transmission molded leadframe is necessary. Ford will not cover the repair cost because it is out of the mileage and also the extended date 11/30/2019.

- Winfield, MO, USA

problem #22

Jun 082021

Expedition

  • miles
Personal experience matches exactly the symptoms identified and described in Ford TSB 13-6-8. The downshift and immediate power train reduction in speed has thrown the passengers forward and prompted immediate control issues. To date the tires have not locked up on this VIN but there are numerous reports of that situation.

- Bayfield , CO, USA

problem #21

Jul 312020

Expedition

  • 155,000 miles
We are experiencing the issues in Ford's tsb 13-6-8 the vehicle will suddenly have the speedometer drop to 0, fuel gauge shows empty, wrench or check engine light comes on, and the rpms go extremely high. It is extremely dangerous as it has happened on the freeway at high speeds and also when starting up from a stop light. Ford is only paying for the parts if it's 10 years or 150,000 miles whichever comes first. The vehicle is 7 years old but has 155,000 miles. The repair is $1,100.

- Meridian, ID, USA

problem #20

Jun 112020

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 163,000 miles
I was driving on the highway at stepping on gas pedal to go to 65mph and the transmission downshifted to the first gear and went limp on the highway. I attempted to go to desire highway speed and it would not move and I was lucky to get off the highway and not get killed. No light turned on except the fuel gauge moved like crazy. On a different occasion my husband drove it on the highway again and it did it again, downshift to first hear in the middle of highway when he was going at 65 mph. It was very scary because there was a lot of traffic and he nearly had an accident. Took to my mechanic and he did not find any codes or anything to figure out what happened. After discussing with my brother's mechanic, he said that the problem is the transmission and a sensor that is known to be faulty in Ford Expedition.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #19

May 142020

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 112,000 miles
I have been having a problem with the engine and when I took my car in to address the situation and also the recall, the gentleman said that it was merely an extension of coverage for a possible problem and that when the problem occurred then they would address it. So this limits me from the use of my vehicle. I?M planning a trip across 1/2 the country with my 4 grandkids and am held hostage to use my car for this trip. I cannot be going 60-70 miles down the road to all of a sudden my car downshift to 1st gear causing a tremendous vibration and losing control that can cause irreversible damage to the car, as well as, people in the vehicle. I am utterly amazed that Ford will not address this issue before someone or something critically has to happen. I guess Ford sees clients as inessential as long as they make sales.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #18

Jan 072020

Expedition

  • 90,000 miles
While driving at a high speed (highways, interstate, etc) the vehicle stutters - almost like an extreme downshift. Dealer performed a lead frame recall repair to the transmission but the vehicle continues to do it. It causes extreme anxiety to the driver and passenger, especially when it happens in the "middle of nowhere".

- Eagle Mountain, UT, USA

problem #17

Jun 162019

Expedition

  • 131,000 miles
Today as I was driving on perry rd about to turn onto fm 1960 rd E. when I started to accelerate to turn, my transmission down shifted while I'm driving at about 15 miles an hour instead of going up and jerked my car pretty good. I let go of the gas pedal for a second, then tried again slowly. The car started to jerk as if it was struggling to accelerate forward. It did after about 10 seconds. Then the speedometer dropped down to 0 and my digital fuel information that's displayed on my dash dotted out and a screwdriver icon flashed for a few times. The car then started to move smoothly, but seemed stuck in gear. This followed with the tmps sensor kicking on. No check engine lights showed up during this period and when I got to where I was safe, I turned the car off for about 15 minutes. When I turned it on again, it was perfectly normal. This has happened before while I drove on a major highway and it is scary. No diagnostic test has found an issue and I cannot afford to pay for an exploratory service as I just did a coolant repair a couple of weeks ago.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #16

May 082019

Expedition

  • 63,000 miles
My 2013 Ford Expedition transmission unexpectedly downshifts to a lower gear without input from the driver causing the vehicle to slow down suddenly without warning, or the transmission does not shift up to a higher gear when accelerating. The sudden downshift has occurred at speeds over 50 mph and caused the rear tires to lock up and skid. These transmission issues are sporadically accompanied by the check engine light and/or wrench icon on the display. My truck is currently with the Ford dealer in foley, al for repair. They have told me that cost for repair of this issue is not covered under a recall.

- Foley, AL, USA

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